I've been trying to find a reasonably concise way to set the dimensions of an empty multidimensional JavaScript array, but with no success so far.
First, I tried to initialize an empty 10x10x10 array using var theArray = new Array(10, 10 10), but instead, it only created a 1-dimensional array with 3 elements.
I've figured out how to initialize an empty 10x10x10 array using nested for-loops, but it's extremely tedious to write the array initializer this way. Initializing multidimensional arrays using nested for-loops can be quite tedious: is there a more concise way to set the dimensions of empty multidimensional arrays in JavaScript (with arbitrarily many dimensions)?
//Initializing an empty 10x10x10 array:
var theArray = new Array();
for(var a = 0; a < 10; a++){
theArray[a] = new Array();
for(var b = 0; b < 10; b++){
theArray[a][b] = new Array();
for(var c = 0; c < 10; c++){
theArray[a][b][c] = 10
}
}
}
console.log(JSON.stringify(theArray));
I've been trying to find a reasonably concise way to set the dimensions of an empty multidimensional JavaScript array, but with no success so far.
First, I tried to initialize an empty 10x10x10 array using var theArray = new Array(10, 10 10), but instead, it only created a 1-dimensional array with 3 elements.
I've figured out how to initialize an empty 10x10x10 array using nested for-loops, but it's extremely tedious to write the array initializer this way. Initializing multidimensional arrays using nested for-loops can be quite tedious: is there a more concise way to set the dimensions of empty multidimensional arrays in JavaScript (with arbitrarily many dimensions)?
//Initializing an empty 10x10x10 array:
var theArray = new Array();
for(var a = 0; a < 10; a++){
theArray[a] = new Array();
for(var b = 0; b < 10; b++){
theArray[a][b] = new Array();
for(var c = 0; c < 10; c++){
theArray[a][b][c] = 10
}
}
}
console.log(JSON.stringify(theArray));
-
The Java programming language has
int[][] stuff = new int[10][10], but I'm not aware of any similar construct in JavaScript. – Anderson Green Commented Jul 21, 2013 at 19:43 - possible duplicate of How can I create a two dimensional array in JavaScript? – Lion Commented Jul 21, 2013 at 19:51
- 2 @Lion No, this question is asking how to initialize arrays of arbitrarily many dimensions, not just 2 dimensions. – Anderson Green Commented Jul 21, 2013 at 19:54
- 1 @AndersonGreen Right, I missed the "arbitrary many dimensions" part. If you just need one 3dimensional array, a generic function may be overkill – user123444555621 Commented Jul 21, 2013 at 20:16
- 2 +1 for an actually good question with a fun coding challenge! – jsalonen Commented Jul 21, 2013 at 20:39
6 Answers
Reset to default 6Adapted from this answer:
function createArray(length) {
var arr = new Array(length || 0),
i = length;
if (arguments.length > 1) {
var args = Array.prototype.slice.call(arguments, 1);
while(i--) arr[i] = createArray.apply(this, args);
}
return arr;
}
Simply call with an argument for the length of each dimension. Usage examples:
var multiArray = createArray(10,10,10);Gives a 3-dimensional array of equal length.var weirdArray = createArray(34,6,42,2);Gives a 4-dimensional array of unequal lengths.
function multiDimArrayInit(dimensions, leafValue) {
if (!dimensions.length) {
return leafValue;
}
var arr = [];
var subDimensions = dimensions.slice(1);
for (var i = 0; i < dimensions[0]; i++) {
arr.push(multiDimArrayInit(subDimensions, leafValue));
}
return arr;
}
console.log(multiDimArrayInit([2,8], "hi")); // counting the nested "hi"'s yields 16 of them
demo http://jsfiddle/WPrs3/
Here is my take on the problem: nArray utility function
function nArray() {
var arr = new Array();
var args = Array.prototype.slice.call(arguments, 1);
for(var i=0;i<arguments[0];i++) {
arr[i] = (arguments.length > 1 && nArray.apply(this, args)) || undefined;
}
return arr;
}
Usage example:
var arr = nArray(3, 3, 3);
Results in 3x3x3 array of undefined values.
Running code with some tests also available as a Fiddle here: http://jsfiddle/EqT3r/7/
The more dimension you have, the more you have interest in using one single flat array and a getter /setter function for your array.
Because for a [d1 X d2 X d3 X .. X dn] you'll be creating d2*d3*...*dn arrays instead of one, and when accessing, you'll make n indirection instead of 1.
The interface would look like :
var myNArray = new NArray(10,20,10);
var oneValue = myNArray.get(5,8,3);
myNArray.set(8,3,2, 'the value of (8,3,2)');
the implementation depends on your preference for a fixed-size n-dimensionnal array or an array able to push/pop and the like.
A more succinct version of @chris code:
function multiDim (dims, leaf) {
dims = Array.isArray (dims) ? dims.slice () : [dims];
return Array.apply (null, Array (dims.shift ())).map (function (v, i) {
return dims.length
? multiDim (dims, typeof leaf == 'string' ? leaf.replace ('%i', i + ' %i') : leaf)
: typeof leaf == 'string' ? leaf.replace ('%i', i) : leaf;
});
}
console.log (JSON.stringify (multiDim ([2,2], "hi %i"), null, ' '));
Produces :
[
[
"hi 0 0",
"hi 0 1"
],
[
"hi 1 0",
"hi 1 1"
]
]
In this version you can pass the first argument as a number for single dimension array.
Including %i in the leaf value will provide index values in the leaf values.
Play with it at : http://jsfiddle/jstoolsmith/r3eMR/
Very simple function, generate an array with any number of dimensions. Specify length of each dimension and the content which for me is '' usually
function arrayGen(content,dims,dim1Len,dim2Len,dim3Len...) {
var args = arguments;
function loop(dim) {
var array = [];
for (var a = 0; a < args[dim + 1]; a++) {
if (dims > dim) {
array[a] = loop(dim + 1);
} else if (dims == dim) {
array[a] = content;
}
}
return array;
}
var thisArray = loop(1);
return thisArray;
};
I use this function very often, it saves a lot of time